New Liangmahe BK’s Tavern Serves Australian Beef Steak and Durian Pizza

We thought that maybe the Sanlitun area had taken up too much of our attention recently, so we decided to look around Liangma River for something new. We ended up at the new BK’s Tavern. Nestled next to the river, BK’s Tavern is the newest small business in the area, joining FiumeRiver Homebrewing & Steak (which recently changed their name to Liangshi Brewing), and the new pizzeria Lievito Gourmet. BK’s Tavern is on the second floor of FX Hotel, with floor-to-ceiling windows, beautiful leather chairs and heavy wooden tables, and a brick wall decorated with short silver birch piles, a huge map, and timeless black-and-white photos of the restaurant and those involved in its opening.

The titular owner, BK (an abbreviation for Big Keng), is a graduate student barely squeezing in time to take care of the restaurant between his studies. The menu is simple, just two pages, but it manages to cover a bit of everything – four salads (RMB 68-86), four soups (RMB 32-42), six mains (RMB 186-218) including tenderloin, cod, sirloin, lamb, beef ribs, and lobster, four desserts (RMB 28-46), pasta (RMB 68-98), pizza (RMB 86-108), two burgers (RMB 68-78), and some snacks (RMB 36-168), including waffle fries, a sausage plate, chicken wings, and mussels. The dishes are entrusted to a chef with almost 20 years' experience in the culinary scene, and who has previously worked for Chinese celebrities and won the popular Chinese cooking show Greatest Chefs in 2017.

We kicked it off with the complimentary toast, which was covered in a delicious house-made basil sauce. We had the prawn salad (RMB 68) to start, which included lettuce, cherry tomatoes, fried egg strips, chicory, and a generous dusting of cheese. It was quite flavorful with the vinaigrette dressing, and due to the small portion, we finished it in no time. The mushroom and borscht soups were both delicious and well-seasoned, especially the mushroom – creamy and sprinkled with seafood.

As for the mains, we had the pan-fried cod (RMB 198), which came paired with baby carrots and broccoli. The fish was quite tender and the skin was crisp, while the chili chops brought the texture to another level. Beware, though: In true Chinese culinary tradition, this hunk of meat still contains its bones. The Australian Angus beef tenderloin (RMB 218) was cooked nicely, tossed with a house-made sauce made from cow bones, cooked for over 10 hours and then smashed, and a dash of basil.

Maybe we are too obsessed with the durian mille crepe at Musang King, and we're well aware that we're too obsessed with pizza, but we were eager to try this decadent restaurant's take on the divisive durian pizza. The nine-inch durian pizza (RMB 106) was sweet and creamy, with a strong flavor of durian meat and durian jam, and a zesty aroma from the lemon juice. To make it even more irresistible, they topped it with fresh durian meat. One tip: take gum with you to chew after you finish and before talking to your colleagues.

For the sweet tooth, they offer a simple (yet not simple) brownie (RMB 32), with a glazed surface and walnut chops inside. They also serve tiramisu (RMB 28), which tastes as sweet as it looks, cut into the shape of a heart. The wine selection is not half-bad here, with six red wines (RMB 198-2168), white wines (RMB 226-368), and sparkling wines and champagne (RMB 176-1608), some of which have good value. They also offer cocktails (all at RMB 48), and eight beers on tap from NBeer, Ram, and Harvest. Beverages are reasonable with Coke and other sodas (all at RMB 15), and Americano coffee (RMB 38). BK’s Tavern is not ideal for a quick lunch, but instead for sitting next to the floor-to-ceiling windows and relaxing with your close friends.

BK’s Tavern
Daily 11.30am-2pm, 5.30-10.30pm. 1/F, FX Hotel (on the side facing the river), 39 Maizidian Xijie, Chaoyang District (8595 9609)
意美风情餐吧:朝阳区麦子店西街39号富驿时尚酒店1

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Email: tracywang@thebeijinger.com
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Photos: Tracy Wang